Ways of forming imperatives
There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.
Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:
Second Person Affirmation
| Shíká | ’anilyeed. |
| 1-for | 2-run.I |
| Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.) | |
Second Person Negation
Optative
| Mósí | ch’óółt’e’. |
| cat | out-3-2-take.Opt |
| Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]] | |
Optative + lágo
| Mósí | ch’óółt’e’ | lágo. |
| cat | out-3-2-carry.O | hope.not |
| Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out. | ||
t’áadoo V-í
| T’áadoo | ’anit’íní! |
| neg | 2-do.NI-Í |
| Don’t do that! | |
Fourth Person Affirmative
| Hatáaldi | jigháahgo | hozhdísin | łeh. |
| ceremony-at | 4-go.I-GO | 4-respect.NI | usually |
| One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony. | |||
Fourth Person Negation
| Doo | ’ájíníi | da! |
| neg | 4-say.NI | -neg |
| One doesn’t say that! | ||
The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.
In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.
Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].
An example search has returned 50 entries
Shideezhí t’áadoo ’ałtso ’íiłta’í t’óó nádzá.
1-sister NEG finish 3-read-NMLZ.NEG just 3-return.PʼÁłah ʼaleehdi ʼamá bééhániih daats’í bá ’ádazhniiyą́ą́’? ʼÁko daatsʼí nímasii łaʼ ʼakǫ́ǫ́ dííkááł.
group gathering-at mother 3-3-remember perhaps 3-for 4-pl-eat.P so perhaps potatoes some there 3-2-take.OC.FAre they perhaps having a Mother’s Day dinner at the chapter meeting? Perhaps you could take some potatoes there.
bookmark- daats’í particle for perhapsfind in Navajo Questions
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- daats’í maybe, perhaps, possiblyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
bik’ídadidoohdis
pl-3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.Fbik’ídadiidis
pl-3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.ICh’iyáán nináhíłnihgo haa nízahjį’ ’ánádįįh?
food 3-2-buy.R how 3-long.N-up.to 3-become.none.Rdadidíníilkał
pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Fdadoołhį́į́’
pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.Pdeiilyį́į́’
pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.(snow).Pdeiyííyą́ą́’
pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.Pdididoołjah
3DO-2dpl-start.fire.Fdidoołhįh
3DO-2dpl-melt.it.Fdishhį́į́h
3DO-1-melt.it.FDooládó’ shį́į́ ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shich’ohoos’ni’ da kintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso naadiinígíí ńdiiłtsooz.
wow probably yesterday 1-lucky.P town areal down 1-go.I Past money twenty-NOM 3-sit.FFO.PDzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.
bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NPDziłghą́ą́’í bizaad doo shił bééhózin da.
White.Mountain.Apache-NOM 3-language NEG 1-with 3-ho-know.CI NEGHa’át’íísh neidiyoołnih nínízin?
who-Q 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NIhadadíníilchał
pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Fhadaoołgizh
pl-3DO-2dpl-cut.it.out.Phadeidoołtééł
pl-3DO-3dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.Fhadííníłbįįd
3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.Phaiłgéésh
3DO-3-cut.it.out.Ihayíígeed
3DO-3-dig.it.out.Pjidííłhį́į́’
3DO-4-melt.it.PK’ad níló shik’ijį’ nahałtingo bik’e’eeshchíí’.
now hail 1-on me 3 rain.I.GO 1-3-sting.PKwii sínídáa dooleeł.
here 2-sit.SPN will.be.FMary ha’át’íí lá yinízin?
Mary what Q 3-3-want.NIMary ha’át’íí yinízin?
Mary what 3-3-want.NINa’ná’á biyaa góne’ dóó báhátis ’adiłt’oh.
bridge 3-under below and 3-across 3-3-shoot.PNichxǫ’ doo ájíléeh da.
stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEGNida’iishnishgo hooghangóó nídésdzáa lą́ą.
1-after.work.P-GO home-to 1-go.F EMPI am going home after work!
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashnish workfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- lą́ą an emphatic encliticfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
nidajizlá
pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pnidasiilkáá’
pl-3DO-1dpl-investigate.it.PNimá yázhí bighangóó díílwoł dóó ’áájí ’awéé’ baa ’áhólyą́ą dooleeł.
your aunt 3-house-to 2-run-and that-way baby 3-for 2-care.CI FUTGo to your aunt’s house and take care of the baby over there.
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yishwoł run alongfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’áháshyą́ carefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- dooleeł futurefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon




